Educational device



y 1950 T. R. STURMAN 2,506,001

EDUCATIONAL DEVI-CE Filed March 10, 1947 INVENTOR. Tb'lMA SVWIFMAN.

- 3y I ,TJW

A TTORNE'K Patented May 2, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EDUCATIONALDEVICE Thelma R. Sturman, Detroit Mich. Application March 10, 1947,Serial No. 733,511

4 Claims. 1

The present invention pertains to a novel educational device to be usedby children; and also in connection with childrens furniture to be usedas an aid to the mother.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a device of thischaracter which is simple, inexpensive, useful, fascinating andinstructive.

The device is in the nature of a series of disks, each a separate toy,pivotally attached to one another in the nature of a chain. The disksmay be extended with respect to one another in a straight line andthereby form an extensible arm. Each disk is formed with a stopadaptedto engage the preceding disk in order to maintain the linearseries in a rigid relation to form a rigid arm. The arm is useful forvarious purposes. For example, a pair of arms may be projected inparallel relation from the side of a play pen, and a bag may besuspended from the arms to catch the playthings that the child throwsout of the play pen so that they will not fall to the floor. The pair ofarms may be easily detached and placed elsewhere, as on a bed, highchairor the like. If placed inside a piece of furniture, the child may playwith the device, On the outside, a pair of arms may be used to support abag for catching toys and the like thrown out by the child as alreadyindicated.

As an educational device, the disks are so joined that they may bedetached from one another. For this purpose each disk is formed with acentral hole from which extends a radial slot having a dropped seatformed at its outer end. The connected disk has a pin or rivet adaptedto enter the central hole and move along the slot into the seat, therebyestablishing the connection. A degree of skill is required, for a child,to connect and disconnect the disks. Moreover, each disk has acharacter, such as a numeral painted thereon or secured thereto. Thecharacters may be variously and differently colored, and in handling thedisks the child naturally becomes familiar with the characters. Helearns to place them in correct sequence, as in alphabetlcal ornumerical order, for example.

The invention is fully disclosed by way of example in the followingdescription and in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the device used as extensiblearms for supporting a basket on a piece of childrens'furniture;

Figure 2 is an elevation of thearm;

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fi ure 2;

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is an elevation of a modified form of the device;

Figure 6 is a longitudinal section of Figure 5;

Figure '7 is an elevation of another modification, and i Figure 8 is asection on the line 8-8 of Fig ure '7. I

designate corresponding parts throughout.

In Figures 1 and 2 is shown a series of disks l which are made of anysuitable material such as stamp metal or molded plastic material. The

disks are pivotally attached to one another by suitable rivets 2 nearthe ends, and the two rivets passing through any one disk are located onthe same diameter, so that the series may be extended in a straight lineas shown. Each disk has a tongue or lug 3 struck out from its edge andadapted to engage an adiacent disk. The tongues are similarly positionedon all the disks with respect to the rivets, whereby the lineararrangement is rigidly maintained. Each disk also has a central aperture4 for a purpose that will presently be described.

A pair of extended arms may be used in the manner illustrated inFigure 1. The numeral 5 represents a piece of childrens furniture, suchas a play pen, bed, highchair or the like. Each arm has an adjustablehook 6 fastened to one of its members and adapted to hang from an edgeof the member 5. A cloth bag 1 with an edge bead 8 is suspended from thearms by means of hooks 9 attached to the bead and inserted in theapertures 1i. As a simpler expedient, the bag may have an adiustabledraw string or elastic too that is readily engaged on the two arms. Whenthe basket is detached and not in use, the disks may be turned on therivets 2 into superimposed or coinciding relation to form a compactunit, and detached from the furniture. There is sufficient looseness atthe rivets and resiliency in the disks I to permit the disks to overlapthe tongues 8. In another use of the invention, one or both of the armsmay be attached inside the piece of furniture so that the child canentertain itself by folding up and unfolding the arm or arms.

In the modification shown in Figures 5 and 6. each disk it is formedwith a central aperture H, as; formerly, and with a slot l2 extendingradially therefrom. The outer end of the slot is formed with a seat 13dropped below the Genter line of the slot, for a purpose that willpresently be described. Each disk also has a rivet or stud It with ahead l5 adapted to pass through the aperture ll of the adjacent disk.The rivet is slid along the slot 12 until it drops into the seat l3.Each disk is also formed with a stamped tongue or lug 16 adapted toengage the adjacent disk. The lugs 16 are similarly related to therespective slots .12. so, that. they maintain a, linear series asshownin Figure '5. This device maybe used in the manner described inconnection with Figure 1, if desired. Moreover, the disks may beseparated from one another by moving the rivets M to the apertures IIand withdrawingthem from the apertures. This operation requires. adegree of skill and provides fascination for a child. Each disk may bepIayed'Withasasepa rate toy and also serves to acquaint the, child withletters of the alphabet, numerals, colors, animals and the like.

The modification shown in Figures '7 and 8 is similarly constructed withrespect to the apertures; slots-and rivets, and each disk-also carries acharacter designated by the numeral 213i These characters maybe paintedon: the disks or formed th-erecnin relief as indicated in Figure 8. Theraised characters may, for example, consist'of a plastic material andinsuch case" the disks 2| may consist of the same material and the twoparts molded together in an integral structure.

Itis alsoobvious that-the charactersmay be separately formed memberssuitably secured to the disks. In the relief construction, the rivets zz-aresomewhat-lcnger between the heads than the'thickness of the disksin'order that'the rivets may he slid across the characters between thecentral apertures 23 and the seats 24 in assembling and disassemblingthe device.

Although specific embodiments of the invention have been illustrated anddescribed, it will be understood that-various alterations in thedetails. of construction may be made. without depar-ting from the scopeof the invention as indicated by" the appended claims.

What I claim is":

An educational device comprising a series of disks pivotally attached toeach other in a succession, each disk having a central aperture and aslot extending therefrom, and a headed rivet carried by each disk andadapted to enter an aperture of an adjacent disk and to slide in theconnected slot.

2. An educational device comprising a series of disks pivotally attachedto each other in a succession, each disk having a central aperture anda. slot extending therefrom, and a headed rivet carriediby each disk andadaptedto; enter an aperture of an adjacent disk and to slide in theconnected slot, the heads of said rivets being wider than said slots tolock in the slots against movementtransversely of the disk.

3. .An educational device comprising a series of disks pivotallyattached to each other in a successicmhea-ch.diskhaving a centralaperture and a slot extending therefrom, and a headed rivet V carriedbyeach disk and adapted to enter an aperture of an adjacent disk and toslide in the connected sl'ot, each disk 'havinga droppeds-seat formed atthe outer end of the slot thereinand adapted'to receive a rivet.

4. An educational device comprising a series of disks pivotally attachedtoeachother 'ina succession, each diskhaving a central aperture and aslot extending therefrom, and. a headed: rivet" carried by each disk andadaptedto: enter an aperture of an adjacent disk and to slide in' theconnected slot, each disk having a. dropped seat-formed at the outer endof the slot therein and'ad'aptedt'o receive a rivet, the heads of'saidirivets-"being Wider than said slots to lock in the slots. againstmcvement' transversely. of the; disk;

THELMA R. S'I'TJ'BMA-Ni.

REFERENKJE S CITED- The icilowing references are of record in the fileof this patent:

UNITEIZ) STATES PATENTS Number Name. Date 335,837. Peckham -T.Feb;.9,.1886; 1,043,652 Whitman. w- N015, 1912 1,046,513, Ellis; aan-.'Dec. 10.19.12 1,304,056. Klenet'zky May 20,1919 1,617,652. 7 Beck.July L'I'; 1928.

